Careers as a Registered Nurse

Nursing is a caring human service where the unique worth and dignity of the individual is recognized. The goals of nursing are to promote health and to provide care and support to people through all stages of life. Nursing offers a highly-competitive salary and a wide variety of career possibilities, including full-time and part-time employment options. 

The demand for nurses in all areas of hospital and ambulatory settings is strong and will continue to be in the foreseeable future; a report from the Canadian Nurses Association in 2002 predicted that by the year 2016 there would be a shortage of about 113,000 nurses in Canada.  Nurses can also be found in the community focusing on health promotion, education, and illness prevention.

For those individuals who are self-directed or who enjoy the challenge of independent practice, nurses can work in the North and abroad with international health organizations. Today, the opportunities for nurses are practically unlimited.  Nurses are respected professionals and are valued members of the health care team.

There are many sources of information available to learn more about careers available as a Registered Nurse.  Prospective students should also consider interviewing Registered Nurses, checking job postings available for Registered Nurses, speaking with potential employers, and visiting or volunteering at locations where Registered Nurses are employed to learn more about the realities of and opportunities in nursing.  

Resources for information about salaries/wages: